Al Rudnitsky's research interests revolve around teaching and learning for understanding. His recent work has focused on how teachers create learning communities, the role of discourse in deep learning, knowledge­-building pedagogy in higher education, the role of imagination in teaching and learning, and the use of stories to advance learning. Math and science education at the elementary­- and middle­-school levels are areas of particular interest.

Rudnitsky received a National Science Foundation five­-year, full­-scale development grant for "Using Narrative in a Digital Learning Environment to Engage Children and Teens in Engineering," for which he was the co-­principal investigator.

Selected Publications

“What students need to know about good talk: Be BRAVE,” (with C. Barclay & L. Binger). Middle School Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 3-14 (2017).

“An Emergent Approach to Design Thinking and Collaborative Team Composition in an Introduction to Engineering Course,” (with Mikic, B.) International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 1-8 (2016).

“Tasks and Talk: The Relationship Between Teachers’ Goals and Student Discourse,” Social Studies Research and Practice. Vol. 8, No. 3. (Fall 2013).

"What Happens When a College Teacher Meets the Learning Sciences," (with DiBartolo, P.) International Journal of University Teaching and Faculty Development. Vol. 2, No. 3 (2011).

"Applying Knowledge Building in an Engineering Class: A Pilot Study," (with Ellis, G.W., Moriarty, M.A., Mikic, B.) International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 1-13 (2011).

"Using Knowledge Building to Support Deep Learning, Collaboration, and Innovation in Engineering Education," (with Ellis, G.W. & Moriarity, M.) 40th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Washington, DC. (2011).

"Theoretic Stories: Creating Deeper Learning in Engineering Courses. International Journal of Engineering Education," (with Ellis, G.W. & Moriarity, M.). Journal of Engineering Education,   vol. 26, no. 5 (2010).

"Listening­-in on groups: Learning about practice through filmmaking," (with Dlugolecki, S., Dodd, G., Donovan, K., Starkel, H., Traxler, M.). Paper presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization, Portsmouth, NH.

"Stories of Classroom Community," (with Franey, B., Gundersheimer, B., Penda, K., Ramsey, L., & Treadway, M.). Paper presented at the 2008 New England Educational Research.

Course Design: A Guide to Curriculum Development for Teachers. 7th edition. (with George Posner), Boston: Allyn & Bacon Longman (2006).

"Learning about Scientific Inquiry through Engineering," (with Harwood, J.). Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, Portland, Oregon.

Introducing Students to Scientific Inquiry: How Do We Know What We Know (with Susan Etheredge). Boston: Allyn & Bacon (2003).